BOOK REVIEW

by Papa

Title: The Winter Room

Author: Gary Paulsen

Recommended Age: 10-12

Pages: 103

Read-Aloud Time: 2 weeks

Rating: 4/10

Eldon and his brother Wayne are growing up on a farm in the Midwest.  Their family is pretty self-sufficient but they have two "Uncles" who stay with them.  One of their uncles is Uncle David.  He's very old and every night, in the living room (which they call the Winter Room) he tells stories to entertain the family.  The book takes place over the course of a year going through the regular ins and outs of the farm.  In the end, Uncle David reveals something in a story that the brothers won't ever forget. 

Favorite Thing: Nothing really stood out for me in this book.  The stories that Uncle David told were okay, but they certainly wouldn't have kept me entertained at a young age.

Least Favorite Thing: Nothing stood out as particularly unfavorable either.  The book just kind of meandered around and documented what life on a farm is like.

Questionable Material for Kids:  The chapter called "Fall" is a bit graphic.  Life on a farm includes dealing with the livestock and this chapter goes into it with many details that might be questionable for kids.